So, Week 22 comes to a close with a surprisingly nice result - a 1.9kg loss! I haven't seen a weekly loss like that in a while. Last time I lost that big was Week 18. But, I'm not complaining. I know it's just a matter of swings and roundabouts.
I can't believe how close I'm getting to being in the 70s. My goal weight is 70 kgs - so getting to 79 will be so strange. The boyfriend weighs around 79-80kgs too - so it will a rather big deal to weigh less than him. Some big milestones to look forward to!
Last Saturday we finished our C25K program. We did the timed version, so we were training to run 30mins. I guess the idea is that a lot of people would be running 5K in 30mins. We ran 4.2K. That's ok. When I started I just wanted to be able to do half an hour of running, and now I can!
We are still kind of unsure about how to continue training. Keep running 30mins and try to run faster. Or just run for longer and get to 5K... then beyond.
Either way, this morning's struggle to get out of bed highlighted to me how important it is for me to have a training program to stick to. Before I finished the C25K program, one of the things that used to get me out of bed was the knowledge that missing a day could set my whole schedule back. Now, I only had the thought of getting my exercise in for the day, and keeping my habit going. I'm scared that it won't be enough motivation going forward.
So, I need to find another program. Maybe just an interim one to get to 5K. Or, maybe to start on the C210K app. It could also be something that the boyfriend and I draw up ourselves, e.g. Run 4.5K this week, 5K next week, 5.5K the next etc.
Maybe we need to bite the bullet and sign up for a race. That would really light a fire under me.
I should also mention that in terms of the food front, and following Optifast properly - I am not quite there. Last week I ate an average of 1200 calories a day. I also exercised A LOT. It was tough, but I really wanted to push myself to see if I could do it. On top of running 3 times, I did 3 Spin classes and 2 BodyPump classes at the gym.
It hurt, and I was tired, but it made me feel so good. I'm slowly starting to see tiny bits of definition showing up on my body. Eating a bit of extra food made me feel confident that I had enough energy to complete the gym classes.
I feel like a bit of a traitor, to be honest. A traitor to Optifast. And a bit of an imposter. I'm still netting the 1000 calories I'm supposed to be on. But, I'm eating more. I'm eating the Optifast products, but only roughly following their nutritional and calorie intake ideas. And so, I just don't feel genuine.
But then, maybe this is all part of it. I'm learning how to lose without Optifast. Perhaps a bit of an early Maintenance/Stabilsation phase. I'm learning how to eat. How to be active. How to be healthy. Isn't that why I did this? Isn't that what Optifast was designed for?
Maybe if I just called it "Maintenance" (which is 1200 calories), I could be done with the whole debate!
At any rate - it's working. What I'm doing is working. I'm going to keep doing it. Eating when my body needs it, but making sure that when I do I'm making good choices. Just because I go to the gym doesn't mean I get an extra 200 calories of chips or chocolate. I need vegetables, protein, dairy. And a few complex carbs.
WIL: 1.9kgs!
WIG: The realisation that I can achieve awesome things if I commit to it. 10 weeks ago, I couldn't run for longer than a minute at a time. And now I can run for 30mins straight, baby!!
Congratulations Caitlin!! You are doing beautifully and are such an inspiration to me! Don't worry about whether you are following Optifast to the letter. That kind of self-imposed stress only makes you miserable, when in reality, you are making healthy choices and should feel very proud of yourself. Call it maintenance if you like, but you need the extra healthy calories to work out. I know lots of people who add calories in order to exercise more, while they are on this program. In our clinic, this is what the physicians tell us to do.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of you guys signing up for a race. There is a really sweet movie called "Run Fatboy Run" that is very funny and really inspirational. It has that dry British humor that I love! You might like it. Cheers to you!
I don't even have words for how amazing a 1.9kg loss is at this stage. All I can say is, celebrate, smile, and let yourself feel good about the incredible way that you are progressing toward your goals. You don't need to feel like a traitor - when you've been strict to the Optifast way, it has worked for you. Now that you are closer to the end, something ELSE is working for you. It's not really a surprise that it's something slightly outside the margins of Optifast - your body is different, and your situation (more physical activity) is different. You feel *great* when you exercise, it's obviously really important to you, and it has other benefits that align with your goals (hello body definition!) - and if that means you need some extra calories in order to make your lifestyle work, then you should be able to do that without guilt. I think the pros (extra confidence / energy at the gym) really really outweigh the cons (umm..wait..what cons? You are losing weight and eating healthy!).
ReplyDeleteI think the other really positive thing about this post is what you've said about the importance of structure and goals for motivation. You're right - you need those goals, that structure, and the reasons for doing it. C210K sounds pretty amazing, and so does signing up for a race! Now *that* would be cool. You could design your own 5K2RaceDay plan - structure + goals = motivation! (Caitlin's Law)
Congrats on a great week, and for doing what you do, every day. Keep going - the next milestone is in sight!
I'm a little behind on my reading, but I wanted to send you a message. You are doing great. I could never imagine doing all that exercise just on the low calorie shakes so you're doing the right thing for your body. I know so many people, myself included, who gained a lot of their lost weight back after stopping the shakes. In fact, maintenance has proven to be much harder than the actual losing of the weight. So if you are able to continue losing while incorporating healthy food, embrace it! I think you had mentioned that you were going to see your grandfather ... I hope you are taking care during all of that. Hugs.
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